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Senior News February, 2003 Vol. 22. No. 2
Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.
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Humboldt Senior Resource Center Back issues Table of Contents
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To build a ramp The coming residential access crisis in rural America by Ken Terrill For the past four years, as part of my position as Director of Housing Rehabilitation Programs at Redwood Community Action Agency, I have been directly involved in the effort by local medical and social service organizations to supply wheelchair access ramps to low income, disabled residents of Humboldt County. Although our own ramp construction program ultimately had to close down, we were able to complete more than 100 ramps, from 2 feet to 42 feet, for income-qualified households throughout the county. During this period I learned many valuable lessons relating to residential access, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), available local, state and national funding, the existing federal/state medical assistance programs available to low income, and, above all, the extent of the need and the growing gap between need and current service levels. Additionally, we consulted with other existing ramp construction programs around the country about their successful methods and researched the Internet for potential available foundations and other private funding sources to assist our local efforts. The most important lessons learned were the following: 1. There is little or no help for Humboldt County residents available from outside the county. The whole world is facing this issue, and there are no world-wide, nation-wide, or state-wide organizations or government services available to us or any other rural community. Generally, a successful program must be funded and administered within a city or county for the residents of that entity. Some federal/state funds can ultimately be accessed by residents through cities or counties, but these funds are limited. 2. To be successful locally, as many available sources of assistance as possible must be accessed. Few rural communities can expect to meet the ramp construction needs of their community's low income disabled residents from a single source. Examples of RCAA's outreach successes included:
It is obvious that as our population ages, this demand for assistance in accessing private residences will only rise. Material costs will continue to go up. State and federal government assistance in this area should not be assumed or expected. |
Senior News 